Fresno man who killed 10-year-old boy near Woodward Park to face jury trial, judge rules
A 64-year-old Fresno man accused of a fatal hit-and-run crash that killed a 10-year-old boy near Woodward Park will face a jury trial, a Fresno County Superior Court judge has ruled.
Police have said that Raymond Jay Celaya was traveling south on North Friant Road at about 11:30 p.m. June 17, 2021, when he approached the red light at Fort Washington Road.
A witness, testifying at Celaya’s preliminary hearing Tuesday, said he was driving behind Celaya’s Chrysler 300 that night and he did not appear to slow down as he drove toward the intersection.
At the same time, 10-year-old Angel Hernandez and his aunt were walking west in the crosswalk to meet up with several family members going for a walk through the park.
The witness, Ocean Granada, saw Celaya’s Chrysler hit something in the intersection but Granada couldn’t tell what it was.
“He must have thought it wasn’t that serious because he kept driving,” Granada said. “But as I drove up, I could see a crowd of people and then I saw someone was on the ground.”
Granada called 911 as family members huddled around the boy and emergency workers tried to save his life. He died later at Valley Children’s Hospital. The coroner listed his cause of death as blunt force trauma.
Granada told prosecutor Sierra tenNyenhuis that Celaya was exceeding the posted speed limit of 50 mph. Police said other witnesses estimated Celays’ speed at about 60 mph.
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Details about fatal crash on Friant Road
It is unknown if Celaya was under the influence at the time of the crash. He was arrested several days later at his apartment in central Fresno.
Police Sgt. Jeremy Maffei testified that debris at the scene helped detectives identify Celaya’s car as being involved in the crash. Maffei testified that Celaya’s car also reeked of burnt marijuana when it was inspected.
Celaya is charged with hit and run resulting in permanent injury or death and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence. He faces up to seven years in prison if found guilty of the two charges.
Celaya has a history of traffic violations dating to 1998, court records show, including citations for speeding, driving on a suspended or revoked license and lacking evidence of current registration.
Police officer’s interview with suspect
Fresno police officer Michael Buessing interviewed Celaya at the time of his arrest and described him as being cooperative. He said Celaya denied having anything to drink that night but admitted to developing insomnia after the recent death of his wife. Celaya told the officer he sometimes doesn’t sleep for three or four days. And he had started hallucinating.
The night of the fatality, Celaya did recall hearing a thud when he was driving on Friant, but he didn’t recall seeing anyone in the intersection, Buessing said.
“He also said he wanted to write a letter to the family,” Beussing said. “He showed remorse.”
Celaya is being represented by attorney Taylor D. Pittman with Fitzgerald, Alvarez & Ciummo.
This story was originally published February 14, 2024 at 10:00 AM.
